The problem with hanging out with Carl....

[Harry Mathews]

Sounds like a good score Carl. I can't wait to see a handle made from one of them. Kind of brings to mind the old saying every high school coach loves so much. "No pain no Gain"

[Sandy Morrissey]

Ryan, you could always take thse shovel heads and forge them into a 1948 Harley-Davidson 61 or 74 ohv. They were known as "shovel heads" haha

[NJStricker]

Our local HD has recently started carrying maple. And yes, some of it has some nice tiger striping.

I've been eye-balling my inlaw's dining room set. Also nice tiger maple there on a couple of chairs. I wonder if they'd notice a couple of chairs missing?

We also have a couple of local Habitat for Humanity stores. They resell some of the old cabinets and other stuff on homes they rehab. More maple there too!

I also scrounge around at thrift stores. Those old tacky looking wood nut trays from the 60's and 70's are often made from teak, rosewood, or cocobolo. You can get a couple knife handles right there for $2.

[Crex]

Armory414
I suspect the HD maple as being of the "soft" variety. The hard or rock maples usually don't get near the HD. Still not bad handle material just dents and scratches easily.
Good scrounging tips - some of my favorite haunts (mostly looking for pewter, but never pass on a good piece of wood).
If you are not used to it, start looking more closely at old hardwood pallets. I've gotten some amazing oak, maple, cherry and even black and honey locust burl from them. The old Jap motorcycle crates used to be loaded with exotics like rosewoods, mahogonies, teak, ebonys, etc. (they use steel now). Got some great high density rosewood family planking from them in various colors and shades. Always stop and look pallets over!

I hate to go in malls and see maple butcher block benches with great figured sections in them just for some unappreciative lard butt to sit on!

[NJStricker]

Carl,

I wondered about the maple. It's a lot lighter than some of the rock maple I have in stock--almost white.

I have a couple of pieces that came from crates--actually the support bar used for metal strapping. One is a very nice piece of walnut that may be just large enough for me to build a forend for my Stevens Ideal rifle. If so, I may have to make a matching knife!

Nathan

[Crex]

Although I have cut and dried quite a large amount of walnut (mostly stumpwood), I cannot say that I ever found any in the pallets I've looked through.
That could be regeionally specific - available to a particular area. Those pallet makers use whatever's cheapest and closest. There's alot of walnut and maple in you area so it makes sense.
Good find.

[NJStricker]

I was surprised too. Usually they are made of ash up here, but we've been invaded by emerald ash borers from Michigan. They came over in some crates from Asia to Detroit, and have been decimating ash trees across both Michigan and Ohio. There are several areas that are quarantined, with heavy fines if you are caught moving any kind of wood. There is a handle company here in town that has made all of their shovel handles from ash (likely the ones you have been buying!), and they are in a quarantine area now. I'm not sure how that has affected their business, but it can't be good.

. . . I should stop by there sometime, and see what kind of scraps they have they might give me. . .might save me from having to cut up good shovel handles. . .

[Don Adams]

Looking at shovel and Axe handles at HD and Lowes is easy. Just try throwing Pallets around to find some suitable handle material, (and I do it in a suit) now that's hard work. What makes it worse is I still don't know what the heck I'm looking for....

[Sandy Morrissey]

Don, dear friend, take off the suit! Sandy

[NJStricker]

The pallets themselves are usually not all that great. Around here they are typically made of cottonwood or ash. The prize wood are the thick pieces with a milled channel to keep the metal or plastic pallet bands in place. The ones I've picked up are about 2x2, with a 3/4 inch groove for the bands. If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, they are usually in a pile at the back cargo door back in the lumber section. I've heard some claim that they've found some made of teak and mahogany.

[Don Adams]

Dad, I'd really like to take this suit off but I need to figure out a way to keep the "Money Train" rolling once I get it off.

[Crex]

I'm kind of losing track here. What's Don wearing a suit to play in dumpsters got to do with shovel handles? (he has been getting some mighty fine plunder from the dumpsters where he works though)
Don, tried your stamp out on hot steel yet?

[Don Adams]

Sorry for the long delay in replying. I'm still looking for some engine keys to set my space. I know that's no excuse but it's all I have for now.

[Crex]

Call me Don, I got something you might need.